East River Ferry ridership hits all time high in 2016

Nearly 1.6 Million Trips, Up 8 Percent from 2015

December 29, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The East River Ferry at its Greenpoint Dock. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

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New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Thursday released new data for the East River Ferry showing that ridership reached an all-time high in 2016. With expanded Citywide Ferry Service scheduled to launch in summer 2017, New Yorkers are taking to the water in record numbers — with a total of 1,584,149 trips on the East River Ferry this year. That’s an 8 percent increase from the 1,467,860 trips taken on the East River Ferry in 2015.

The North Sixth Street/North Williamsburg ferry terminal was the highest activity stop during weekdays in 2016, while the Brooklyn Bridge/DUMBO terminal experienced the most weekend activity. More than 10,500 passengers took the ferry on May 20, 2016 — the highest ridership day of the year.

With 19 vessels operating at 21 landings across New York City, Citywide Ferry will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year across six routes — providing a new and easily accessible transit option traditionally underserved communities and where jobs and housing are growing rapidly.

“This growing demand is one of the reasons we’re expanding ferry service citywide in 2017,” said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “More and more New Yorkers are looking to our waterways to get to work or school, and that’s led to increased East River Ferry ridership for the fourth year in a row. We’re very excited to incorporate the East River route into Citywide Ferry Service and connect New Yorkers from Soundview to the Rockaways for the price of a subway ride.”

Citywide Ferry Service operator Hornblower is preparing to transition the East River Ferry service into the larger Citywide Ferry system by Summer 2017. Once Citywide Ferry Service launches, the price of an East River Ferry ride will be reduced from $4 weekday fares and $6 weekend fares to $2.75 — the same cost of a subway ride – making ferry service even more affordable for working New Yorkers.

“There’s a tremendous wave of excitement building as we gear up to offer more connections and more convenience than ever before once Citywide Ferry by Hornblower launches this summer,” said Cameron Clark, senior vice president of development and project manager for Citywide Ferry by Hornblower. “Once the transition into Citywide Ferry Service is complete, East River Ferry’s record ridership will have a record number of routes to connect to in order to ‘Work, Live and Play’ across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.”

New Yorkers can enter to win free Citywide Ferry rides for a year by going to CitywideFerry.nyc and filling out a 2-minute survey.